Chicken stock

My basic recipe to use in everything, from sauces to soups to gravies. I always make sure to have some in the freezer. The best way to keep some to use in small quantities is to freeze it in an ice cube tray, then transfer it to a large ziploc bag. Perfect for last-minute use and so much better than store-bought concentrates or cubes!

After you have taken all the meat off your roast chicken, throw it in a large pan with the onion, peeled and sliced in half, the celery stick and the carrot, both broken in two. Add plenty of salt, some pepper to your taste and the thyme. Top everything up with cold water and bring to boil rapidly. Once it's bubbling up, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer to avoid clouding of the stock and leave to cook for two hours, checking back once on a while to skim the surface of the scum and fat.

At the end of the cooking time, drain the stock into a bowl, discarding everything else. The final stock should leave you with about 4 cups of liquid, which should congeal slightly when cooled. Once cold, you can take off the layer of chicken fat that has formed at top of your bowl.